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Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum (born October 24, 1991) is an undefeated American mixed martial artist currently fighting as a Welterweight in the UFC. He was the winner of FX's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. As of May 26, 2014, he is #11 in official UFC welterweight rankings.UFC Fighter Rankings Mixed martial arts career Early career The son of Mexican immigrants, Gastelum was a state championship wrestler at Cibola High School in Yuma, AZ and attended North Idaho College for a year before deciding to turn pro. He formerly worked as a bail bondsman before later quitting and training full-time. He made his professional MMA debut on December 11, 2010. He won via submission due to punches in the second round. Following his debut, Gastelum amassed an undefeated record of 5–0. He had finished every opponent he had faced with two TKOs and three submissions on his record. The Ultimate Fighter In January 2013, it was announced that Gastelum was selected for The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen. To get into the TUF house, Gastelum defeated Kito Andrews by decision. During the choosing of teams, he was picked last by Chael Sonnen for Team Sonnen. Gastelum's next fight in the house was against Bubba McDaniel. Just before his fight, Chael Sonnen received a call from UFC women's champ Ronda Rousey, who wished Gastelum good luck on his fight and said that if he won that she would come down to the TUF gym and teach a session. He won in the second round via a rear naked choke submission. In the quarter-finals, Gastelum would take on Collin Hart. He won the fight via first round knockout. In the semi-finals, Gastelum would face Josh Samman, the heavily favored No. 2 pick of Team Jones. He won via first round rear naked choke, thus securing his place in the finals. Ultimate Fighting Championship With his successful 4–0 run on the show, Gastelum faced teammate Uriah Hall in the finals at the The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. Despite being a significant underdog, Gastelum won the fight via split decision. Gastelum appeared on "The MMA Hour" with Ariel Helwani and stated his intention to drop to Welterweight, citing and complementing a strength disadvantage he felt against Hall. Gastelum was expected to face Paulo Thiago on August 28, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 27. However, Thiago pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury and was replaced by Brian Melancon. Gastelum finished Melancon via rear naked choke in the first round. Gastelum was expected to face Court McGee on December 14, 2013 at UFC on Fox 9, but was forced to withdraw due to a torn PCL. Gastelum faced Rick Story on March 15, 2014 at UFC 171, a fight that he had specifically asked for. He won the back-and-forth fight via split decision. Gastelum is expected to face Nicholas Musoke on June 28, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 44. Championships and accomplishments *'Ultimate Fighting Championship' **The Ultimate Fighter 17 Winner **The Ultimate Fighter 17 Submission of the Season Mixed martial arts record Mixed martial arts exhibition record References External links * Category:Living people Category:1991 births Category:Welterweight mixed martial artists Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Middleweight mixed martial artists